Membrane filtration apparatus and process for reuse of industrial wastewater

ABSTRACT

Laundry, industrial or food processing wastewater is purified to the degree that it can be reused. Water quality is ensured through the final process of reverse osmosis (“RO”) which removes dissolved contaminants such as mineral hardness, soils and residual detergents. The process combines a ceramic tubular cross-flow membrane filter to remove the suspended solids, oils and greases ahead of the RO. The RO process employs high temperature, low fouling membranes. This enables the RO process to operate sustainably, i.e. without fouling, plugging or membrane degradation.

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 62/267,662 filed Dec. 15, 2015, entitled: MEMBRANEFILTRATION PROCESS FOR REUSE OF INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATER which isincorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention is in the field of filtration processes for industrialand commercial wastewater streams.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

U.S. Pat. No. 6,413,425 is incorporated herein by reference hereto inits entirety. U.S. Pat. No. 6,177,011 is incorporated herein byreference hereto in its entirety. European patent EP 1885 664 isincorporated herein by reference hereto in its entirety. U.S. Pat. No.4,610,792 is incorporated herein by reference hereto in its entirety.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,413,425 states: “A reverse osmosis composite membranecomprises a sponge layer, and a separation layer formed on a surface ofthe sponge layer, wherein at least one substance selected from the groupconsisting of an electrically neutral organic substance and anelectrically neutral polymer is present in the separation layer or asurface of the separation layer is coated with at least one substanceselected from the group consisting of an electrically neutral organicsubstance and an electrically neutral polymer, and wherein the specificsurface area of the layer in which the at least one substance is presentor the separation layer before the surface coating is in the range of 2to 1,000. The reverse osmosis composite membrane has a high saltrejection, a high water permeability, and a high fouling tolerance, andpermits practical desalination at a relatively low pressure.”

U.S. Pat. No. 6,177,011 states: “reverse osmosis composite membrane thathas a high salt rejection, a high water permeability, and a high foulingtolerance, and permits practical desalination at a relatively lowpressure is provided by coating the surface of a reverse osmosismembrane of aromatic polyamide with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), forexample, and controlling the surface zeta potential of the separationlayer within ±10 mV at pH 6. This reverse osmosis composite membrane iselectrically neutral and controls the electrical adsorption ofmembrane-fouling substances having a charge group present in water.Therefore, a high separation property can be maintained without foulingthe membrane even if water containing a surfactant or a transition metalcomponent is supplied as raw water.”

European patent EP 1 885 664 B1 recites “Method for producing awear-resistant reaction bound ceramic filtering membrane, wherein aporous metallic or non-metallic support is provided with a suspensionfor the production of a green body, wherein the suspension is obtainedfrom a dispersing agent and a disperse phase, and wherein the dispersephase can be obtained from at least one ceramic raw material of thegroup of metal nitrides and optionally at least one further ceramic rawmaterial, characterized in that the green body produced in this manneris baked at a temperature of 700° C. to 1250° C. under atmosphericpressure in oxidizing atmosphere for obtaining a phase change of atleast the ceramic raw material.”

U.S. Pat. No. 4,610,792 states “Wastewater is treated with activatedcarbon, lime, and filter aid, and subjected to membrane filtration toprovide water free from suspended solids and having a TOC levels lessthan about 200 mg/L and total solids less than about 2000 mg/L.”

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A water filter is disclosed and claimed. The water to be filtered isused in industrial applications, laundry applications, and foodprocessing applications.

The water filter includes: a coarse prefiltration or screen in fluidiccommunication with a feed tank; a ceramic microfilter unit/module, saidceramic microfilter unit/module includes an inlet, an outlet, a rejectoutlet, and an abrasion-resistant ceramic membrane filter; said feedtank includes a discharge to a first pump, said first pump is connectedto a second pump, said second pump is connected to said inlet of ceramicmicrofilter unit/module, said first and second pumps extract water fromsaid feed tank and force it through said ceramic microfilterunit/module; said reject outlet of said ceramic microfilter connected tosaid second pump; a concentrate reject valve in communication with saidreject outlet of said microfilter; a first control loop for rejectingconcentrate through said concentrate reject valve, said first controlloop includes a flow control device for controlling said concentratereject valve; a feed and neutralization tank, said feed andneutralization tank includes an inlet and an outlet; a filtrate pipeextending from said outlet of said ceramic microfilter unit/module tosaid inlet of said feed and neutralization tank; a pH control loop influidic communication with said feed and neutralization tank, said pHcontrol loop includes a pH sensor and a pump for injecting acid intosaid feed and neutralization tank; a reverse osmosis filter, saidreverse osmosis filter includes an inlet, and outlet and a reject port,said reverse osmosis filter includes a low foul, high temperaturemembrane; said outlet of said feed and neutralization tank includes adischarge to a third pump, said third pump is connected to a fourthpump, said fourth pump is connected to said inlet of said reverseosmosis filter; said reject port of said reverse osmosis filterinterconnected to said inlet of said fourth pump; a reject valve isinterconnected with said reject port and is controlled based on thetotal dissolved solids in the water emanating from the reject port; and,said outlet of said reverse osmosis filter is connected to a permeatepipe which routes water for disposal or reuse.

A water filter is disclosed and claimed wherein a ceramicmicrofiltration (CMF) system and a reverse osmosis (RO) filtrationsystem are used. The ceramic microfiltration, CMF, system includes: asource of water; a CMF feed pump for pumping the water from the sourceof water and through a pretreatment element and into a CMF recirculationloop; and, means for adjusting the pH of the water before the waterenters the CMF recirculation loop. The CMF recirculation loop includes aCMF recirculation pump, a CMF module, a return conduit carrying CMFconcentrate back to the CMF recirculation pump, and a CMF concentratereject conduit interconnected with the CMF return conduit for disposalof the CMF concentrate reject. The CMF concentrate reject conduitincludes a CMF concentrate reject valve for controlling the amount ofthe CMF concentrate reject flow discharged. A CMF concentrate rejectflow meter measures CMF concentrate reject flow in the CMF concentratereject. The CMF module includes a ceramic element and the ceramicelement includes ceramic filter membranes. The CMF recirculation pumpsupplies water to and through the ceramic filter membranes of theceramic element. The CMF module includes a CMF concentrate reject portfor communication of CMF concentrate reject to the CMF return conduit.

A CMF filtrate conduit is in communication with the CMF module. The CMFmodule includes a filtrate port for communication of CMF filtrate in theCMF filtrate conduit to a RO feed tank. A CMF filtrate flow meter in theCMF filtrate conduit measures CMF filtrate flow. Means for selecting adesired CMF concentration factor and means for computing an actual CMFconcentration factor based on the CMF filtrate flow and the CMFconcentrate reject flow are employed. And, means for controlling the CMFconcentrate reject valve based on the concentration factor are used.

The reverse osmosis, RO, system includes the RO feed tank which storesand receives CMF filtrate water from the ceramic filtration system andis interconnected with a RO feed pump for pumping the CMF filtrate waterthrough a pretreatment element and into an RO recirculation loop. The ROrecirculation loop includes a RO recirculation pump, a RO membranefilter housing, a RO return conduit carrying RO concentrate back to theRO recirculation pump, a control valve in the RO return conduit, and aRO concentrate reject conduit interconnected with the RO return conduitfor disposal of the RO concentrate reject. The RO concentrate rejectconduit includes a RO concentrate reject valve for controlling theamount of the RO concentrate reject flow discharged. A RO concentratereject flow meter in the concentrate reject conduit measuring ROconcentrate reject flow is used. The RO recirculation pump supplieswater to and through the first stage of the RO filtration. The RO filterhousing includes a high temperature, low fouling RO membrane. The ROfilter housing includes a RO concentrate reject port for communicationof RO concentrate reject to the RO return conduit. A RO filtrate conduitis in communication with the RO filter housing. The RO filter housingincludes a RO filtrate port for communication of RO filtrate for reuse.A RO filtrate flow meter is in the RO filtrate conduit for measuring ROfiltrate flow. Means for selecting a desired RO concentration factor andmeans for computing an actual RO concentration factor based on the ROfiltrate flow and the RO concentrate reject flow are used. Means forcontrolling the RO concentrate reject valve based on the concentrationfactor and means for computing the differential pressure across the ROfilter housing are used. And, means for controlling the control valve inthe RO conduit varying the flow of RO concentrate through the RO returnconduit are also employed to maintain constant differential pressureacross the RO housing.

A process for filtering laundry wastewater, industrial wastewater orfood processing wastewater is disclosed and claimed using the ceramicmicrofiltration system in combination with a high temperature, lowfouling reverse osmosis filtration system.

It is an object of the invention to use an abrasion resistant ceramicmicrofilter in combination with a high temperature, anti-foulingmembrane in a reverse osmosis filter to clean laundry waste streamsand/or industrial waste streams and/or oily waste streams.

It is an object of the invention to use RO for laundry water treatment.

It is an object of the invention to use high temperature and low foulingRO membranes.

It is a further object of the invention to use CMF to prefilter thewater and thus use an entire process consisting of CMF and RO.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic of a first embodiment of the overall processillustrating the ceramic filtration portion and the reverse osmosisportion.

FIG. 1A is the schematic sectional view of the ceramic filtrationportion of the first embodiment of the process.

FIG. 2 is a schematic of a second embodiment of the overall processillustrating the ceramic filtration portion and the reverse osmosisportion.

FIG. 2A is a generalized schematic of the second embodiment of theceramic microfiltration system.

FIG. 2B is another schematic of the second embodiment of the ceramicmicrofiltration system.

FIG. 2C is a schematic of the prefilter portion of the second embodimentof the ceramic microfiltration system.

FIG. 2D is a schematic of the modules of the ceramic microfiltrationsystem of the second embodiment.

FIG. 2E is a generalized schematic of the reverse osmosis filtrationsystem of the second embodiment.

FIG. 2F is another schematic of the reverse osmosis system of the secondembodiment.

FIG. 2G is a schematic of the prefilter portion of the second embodimentof the reverse osmosis filtration system.

FIG. 2H is a schematic of the recirculation pump, the flow control valveand the reject concentrate flow meter in the recirculation loop.

FIGS. 2I and 2J are schematics of banks of reverse osmosis housings inthe recirculation loop.

FIG. 3 illustrates the pH control of the ceramic microfiltration andreverse osmosis systems.

FIG. 3A illustrates the reject valve control of the ceramicmicrofiltration and reverse osmosis systems.

FIG. 3B illustrates the tank level control of the ceramicmicrofiltration and reverse osmosis systems.

FIG. 3C illustrates the recirculation valve control of the reverseosmosis system.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the overall filtration process, alongwith attendant tanks and pumps. FIG. 1A is an illustration of theceramic filter.

The process and apparatus include a membrane filtration process forreuse of industrial laundry wastewater as well as a membrane filtrationprocess for reuse of other waste streams.

Wastewater is pre-filtered or screened for large solids 1 and thencollected in the Collection/Feed Tank 2. From there it is pumped to theceramic filter unit/module 3. A recirculation pump pumps the water tothe Ceramic Membrane Filter Unit/module 3; from there the rejectedsolids and major portion of the bulk liquid volume exit the ceramicmembrane filters 34 and return via port 32 to the recirculation pump.The rejected solids are discharged from the loop via a concentratemodulating and control valve 4; the clean, filtered water aka “filtrate”is discharged to the next step in the process 5.

The ceramic filter unit/module is illustrated in FIG. 1A and includes awastewater inlet 31, a wastewater outlet 32, a filtrate outlet 33, aplurality of ceramic membrane filters 34 and a tube sheet and seal plate35.

The filtrate water is collected in a Feed and Neutralization Tank 6wherein acid is injected in order to neutralize the alkalinity of thewastewater using an acid metering pump 10 which is controlled by a pHsensor 11. The neutralized water is pumped to the recirculation pumpwhich sends the water to the second step of filtration which is theReverse Osmosis (“RO”) filtration step 7. The water with rejected solidsexits the RO filters and returns to the recirculation pump. The rejectedsolids are discharged from this loop via a reject modulating and controlvalve 9; the filtered water also known as “permeate” is discharged andcollected 8. This permeate is the product water which is of highquality—free of contaminants—and can be reused in the industrialprocess.

Performance of the Filtration System

The process is successful in the removal of pollutants as shown in thetable below. The dissolved solids (called “TDS” for Total DissolvedSolids) are significantly removed, mainly through the function of the ROmembranes. This works in conjunction with the CMF, which removes theoils, greases, and Total Suspended Solids (“TSS”). The overall result isthat the purified product water is of high quality, and can be reused inthe industrial process.

The following is a table of results of the invention. The performance ofthe invention as indicated in the table of results is quite remarkable.Use of a two step, two stage filtration process, namely the ceramicmicrofiltration process and the reverse osmosis process with the lowfouling results in reusable water for industrial processes, including,but not limited to, industrial wastes such as fracking wastewater andlaundry wastes. The invention employs an abrasion resistant filtrationstep (process) which removes the oil and grease from the waste stream.The removal of the oil and grease from the waste stream enableseffective operation of the low fouling membrane of the reverse osmosisfiltration step (process).

INDUSTRIAL UNIFORM WASTEWATER TREATMENT RESULTS Parameter RAW* CMF* %Removal RO* % Removal Copper 0.4801 0.291 39.39 0.014 97.08 Cadmium0.005 ND 100.00 ND 100.00 Chromium 0.031 ND 100.00 ND 100.00 Lead 0.0910.06 34.07 ND 100.00 Nickel 0.03 0.023 23.33 ND 100.00 Iron 0.72 0.25364.86 0.03 95.83 Zinc 1.32 0.825 37.50 0.035 97.35 Sodium 405 378 6.6720.87 94.85 Oil & Grease 305 19 93.77 1.98 99.35 TSS 208 18.3 91.20 1.2599.40 TDS 2,537 1599 36.97 63.1 97.51 Chloride 164 157 4.27 4.68 97.15Sulfate 142 53 62.68 10.9 92.32 Total Alkalinity 840 480 42.66 45.594.58 Magnesium 2.46 1.14 53.66 ND 100.00 Total Hardness 113 27.7 75.493.25 97.12 Color (units) 8,240 85 98.97 6 99.93 Total Organic Carbon 52015 97.12 Odor (threshold odor number) 16 ND 100.00Note: Results are given in milligram per liter unless stated otherwise.RO Membrane—High Temperature Capability

Another unique aspect to this process is in the selection of the ROmembrane. The RO membrane is constructed of special materials, usingspecial adhesives and materials of construction, which make the membranesuitable for high temperature water. To date, RO membranes have beenwidely constructed of thin film composite materials which can onlytolerate temperatures of 113 degrees, Fahrenheit. Laundry wastewatershowever typically have elevated temperature and temperatures normallyrange from 120 to 140 degrees.

The membranes used in the process described in this invention are of aspecial, high temperature, design. They can tolerate temperatures of 170degrees, F. This is a benefit to the industrial end user, since hotwater can be reused resulting in significant savings of heatenergy—savings of natural gas energy.

RO Membrane—Low Fouling Characteristics

Yet another beneficial feature of the RO system is the use of special,low fouling membranes. The membrane materials, while still constructedof thin film composites, are enhanced with a low fouling surface. Thisis accomplished with the use of a material that minimizes the membranesurface charge. In doing so, the membrane is less likely to attractwaste constituents that could stick to the surface due to electrostaticcharge attraction. The long term effect of this feature is reducedfouling, and ease of membrane cleaning and restoration.

FIGS. 2-2J illustrate the second embodiment of the invention,

The invention includes the use of a CMF system equipped with tubular,ceramic filter elements in crossflow configuration. Microfiltrationremoves to a high degree suspended and colloidal particles, emulsifiedoils and greases from wastewater, thus reducing parameters such as BOD,COD, TSS, and turbidity significantly. Ceramic filters are designed towithstand aggressive conditions, high temperatures and acids, alkalineand corrosive components, typical for many industrial wastewaters.Ceramic membranes can be cleaned aggressively if wastewater contaminantsgenerate hard-to-remove accumulations. CMF systems are employed toeither recycle wastewater or to comply with discharge requirements bylocal, state and federal agencies.

FIG. 2 is a schematic of a second embodiment of the overall processillustrating the ceramic filtration process and the reverse osmosisprocess. Wastewater flows through prescreen or prefilter 1A andcontinues to feed tank 2A. The wastewater is then processed in ceramicmicrofiltration systems, CMF System #1 denoted by reference numeral 3Aand CMF System #2 denoted by reference numeral 3B. CMF #1 and CMF #2 arein parallel and the effluent (filtrate) of both system flows to thefeed/neutralization tank 6A. The wastewater is then further processed bythe reverse osmosis system (RO System).

No specific position of any two way valve or any three-way valve isillustrated in connection with any drawing figure.

FIG. 2A is a generalized schematic 200A of the second embodiment of oneof the ceramic microfiltration systems. The Ceramic CrossflowMicrofiltration System (CMF) system can be regarded as a separationdevice, separating a wastewater feed stream into a filtered water stream208 and a heavy concentrate stream 207. The CMF system consists of thefollowing major components: CMF Feed System 202, CMF Clean-in-Place(CIP) System 203, CMF Recirculation Assembly 205, Filtrate Discharge208, and Concentrate Discharge Header 207.

FIG. 2B is another schematic 200B of the second embodiment of one of theceramic microfiltration systems, CMF System #1. CMF system #2 is notdisclosed herein as it is structurally and operationally the same as CMFSystem #1 except capacities are different. The example given herein inregard to the CMF Systems #1 and #2 is just one of many possiblearrangements of CMF Systems. In some applications there may only be oneCFM System and the structure of that system may be substantiallydifferent than the one illustrated and described herein.

CMF System #2, for example, has a different number of modules containingthe containing the ceramic membranes. Feed water is admitted to the CMFfeed tank 211 as indicated in FIG. 2B by arrow 295. From there, the CMFfeed pump 218 pumps the wastewater through a bag-filter, prefiltermodule 220 into the CMF recirculation loop. Water is moved to feed pump218 through conduit 215C. Valve 215C isolates feed tank 211 from thepump 218 during cleaning of the system. Feed pump 218 is driven by avariable frequency drive (VFD).

FIG. 2C is a schematic 200C of the prefilter portion of the secondembodiment of the ceramic microfiltration system. FIG. 2C illustratesthe feed pump discharge conduit 218C entering the prefilter 220 and, inparticular, entering the housings 220A, 220B and exiting therefrom inconduit 223C toward the recirculation pump 250. The pressuredifferential across the prefilter 220 is obtained from pressuretransmitters 219P and 222 and this information is displayed to theoperator at the control panel in regard to the need to clean the system.

The fluid is recirculated inside the recirculation loop by the CMFrecirculation pump 250. The feed pump 218 and the recirculation pump 250are both driven by variable frequency drives which can be operated atdifferent speeds. Recirculated feed fluid passes through the CMF modules285, 286 where microfiltration takes place. The CMF modules 285, 286hold elements and the elements have channels therein. The channels haveceramic layers/membranes on the surfaces of the channels.

Pressurized fluid is allowed to pass in two directions: through theceramic microfilter membrane channels into the concentrate dischargeheader 281C for collection or other appropriate treatment and disposalmethod, and through the ceramic microfilter membranes into the filtratedischarge header 260C for reuse in the process, discharge to sewer orfor collection and further treatment by reverse osmosis. See FIG. 2B.

The CMF system continuously separates a water stream into a cleanfiltrate 260 and a heavy concentrate flow 262. The concentrate (orreject) flow is only a fraction of the feed flow but contains all of therejected feed components. The feed flow rate is the sum of the filtraterate plus the rejected concentrate flow rate. Filtrate flow is measuredby meter 260F and the rejected concentrate rate is measured by meter280F. The meters 260F, 280F are illustrated in FIG. 2B and they transmitand totalize flow therebetween and send this information to the PLC atthe control panel. The ratio between the feed flow rate and theconcentrate flow rate is referred to as the Concentration Factor:

${{Conc}.{Fact}.} = \frac{{Flow}_{Feed}}{{Flow}_{{Conc}.}}$

The concentration factor is typically adjusted to 10 fold (10×) but canvary depending on the application. The concentration factor isselectable within limits and is input into the control systemelectronically at the control panel. Simply put, the reject concentrateflow rate is a fraction of feed flow rate and the feed flow rate is muchlarger than the concentrate flow rate.

A 10× concentration factor stands for 90% water recovery (the filtrate),while 10% of the original feed flow is removed as the concentrate. Theconcentrate is 10 times as “heavy” as the feed flow, containing almostall of the suspended and colloidal particles, emulsified oils andgreases. The loop concentration will influence filtrate permeabilitythrough the membrane and CMF system efficiency will decline forconcentration factor adjustments beyond a critical ratio. Theprogrammable logic controller (PLC) continuously computes theconcentration factor from flow meters 380F, 260F. The real timeconcentration factor is displayed on a Human Machine Interface CMFsystem status screen which is part of the CFM control module 209illustrated in FIG. 2A.

Every wastewater is unique in its quality, concentration and compositionand thus exhibits an individual diffusion rate through themicrofiltration membrane, the so called flux rate. The total membranesurface area of a CMF system depends on the quantity of installedceramic elements. Each CMF ceramic element has a specific number ofchannels; the microfiltration membrane being located on the surface ofthese channels. In practical terms, the flux rate can be expressed asthe filtrate production for each ceramic element, measurement units arein gallons per square foot per day (GFD). The PLC computes flux ratefrom the filtrate flowmeter and divides it by the installed membranesurface area.

The effective pressure drop over the ceramic layers/membranes, theTransmembrane pressure (TMP), is determined from the pressure differencebetween the pressures inside the ceramic tubular elements and the backpressure the filtrate experiences on the filtrate side. The TMP iscalculated as:

${TMP} = {\frac{p_{{{CMF}\_{Module}}{\_{IN}}} + p_{{{CMF}\_{Modul}e}{\_{OUT}}}}{2}p_{FILT}}$Each of the modules 285, 286 has an inlet pressure and an outletpressure. See FIG. 2B, inlet pressure transmitter 252P for module CMF Aand inlet pressure transmitter for module CMF B. Outlet/dischargepressure transmitter 256P for CMF A and outlet/discharge pressuretransmitter 259P for CMF B are shown in FIG. 2B. Pressure transmitter256P is the intermediate pressure between CMF A and CMF B. The rejectedconcentrate of module CMF A, reference numeral 285, is fed to the inletof the second module CMF B module, reference numeral 286 in conduit250M. Inlet pressure 252P and outlet pressure 256P of module CMF A ismeasured and processed by the control module. Inlet pressure 256P ofmodule CMF B is the output pressure of the first module, CMF A, and theoutlet pressure 259P of module CMF B. Inlet and outlet pressures of themodules are dependent on system design and cannot be varied. Filtratepressures 285P, 286P (and therefore the TMP) can be adjusted by theoperator, using the filtrate globe valves 285M, 286M to obtain thefiltrate flow 260.

FIG. 2D is a schematic 200D of the CMF modules 285, 286. Fluid entersmodule 285 and inlet pressure is sensed and transmitted by pressuretransmitter 252P. Filtrate output pressure is sensed and transmitted bypressure transmitter 285P. Filtrate is removed from module 285 andpasses through automatic shutoff valve 287V and manual globe valve 285M.Intermediate pressure of concentrate is sensed in conduit 250M whichextends from module 285 to the inlet of module 286. The intermediatepressure of the concentrate in conduit 250M is the same as the inletpressure to module 286. Filtrate output pressure is sensed andtransmitted by transmitter 286P. Filtrate is removed from module 286 andpasses through automatic shutoff valve 289V and manual globe valve 286M.Globe valves 285M, 286M can be adjusted to produce the desired flowthrough CMF System #1. Output pressure of module 286 is sensed andtransmitted by pressure transmitter 259P where it is discharged to therecirculation loop 250R and returned to recirculation pump 250. Aportion of the concentrate as a function of the concentrate factor isremoved from the recirculation loop by conduit 281C. Flow control valve261V resides in conduit 281C and controls flow therethrough. Flowthrough control valve 261V is controlled by the PLC. Control valve 261Vis a modulated pneumatically operated valve. The flow therethrough is10% of the sum of the filtrate flow and the concentrate flow using aconcentration factor of 10.

Incompatible, “sticky” components in the wastewater can lead to afouling layer build up on the membrane and increase the TMP. Generallyspeaking, the higher the TMP, the more build up that has accumulated onthe membranes. The TMP is therefore an important indicator for systemperformance. Membrane separation is historically plagued by membranefouling, a contaminant-layer build up on the membrane surface,suppressing filtrate flux. The CMF systems of the instant invention usea cross flow configuration and pH adjustment to prevent fouling fromoccurring. pH adjustment is made by the PLC. See FIG. 3 which is aschematic of the pH control system. The CMF membranes are tubular andtherefore oriented in-line with the flow direction. Crossflowmicrofiltration allows filtrate to be removed perpendicularly to theflow while particles larger than the membrane pore diameter are retainedwithin the recirculation loop 250R. Particulates cannot easily build upon the membrane surfaces since it is continuously swept away andrecirculated at high velocities through the ceramic microfiltrationelements. The retained fluid inside the recirculation loop 250 isreferred to as the concentrate. The concentrate becomes more and moreconcentrated with particles until its concentration reaches a state ofequilibrium due to concentrate removal in conduit 281C.

For wastewater, the water pH (water acidity or basicity) plays acritical role in the overall system performance. Wastewater componentscan become “sticky” to the ceramic membrane if pH is not correctlyadjusted to an “optimum working” pH. This “optimum working” pH value istypically in the range of pH 7-10 but is application dependent. The CMFsystem operation adjusts wastewater feed pH to optimize themicrofiltration process. The pH control schematic is illustrated in FIG.3.

The wastewater system illustrated has multiple CMF skids and multipleCMF modules. The system set forth herein is by way of example only;fewer or more modules and skids may be used, as needed for the specificflow volume requirements of each installation.

The wastewater system illustrated has two CMF modules, A and B. CMFSystem #1, reference numeral 3A, illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 2B has twoCMF modules, CMF A and CMF B. CMF System #2 has four modules. Thestructure of the systems is the same except for the number of modulesemployed in each.

The CMF System #1 has several major components, described in detailbelow. The CMF feed tank 211 is flat-bottomed and constructed of 304stainless steel, 7 feet in diameter with a height of 10 feet and a totalvolume of approximately 2,800 gallons. The feed tank is split into twohalves. One half contains wastewater that has been processed by a shakerscreen and the other half contains water that has subsequently beentreated through hydrocyclones and is ready to be fed to module CMF A.

The CMF CIP (Clean In Place) tank 270 provides a small volume tank tomix chemicals required for the CIP process. The CMF tank is 35 gallons,16-inches in diameter and 42 inches tall constructed of Type 304stainless steel.

The CMF feed pump 218 pumps wastewater that has been previously in thefeed tank 211 through the bag filters and into the recirculation loop.The pump has a stainless steel impeller and case. It is rated for 125gpm at 105′ TDH with a 5 hp, 3600 rpm motor and is controlled with a VFD(Variable Frequency Drive). A prefilter 220 comprising a set of two bagfilters and housings 220A, 220B is located downstream of the CMF feedpump and removes coarse contaminants from the feed wastewater to helpprotect and reduce fouling the CMF membranes. The typical filtrationsize is 200-400 μm. The housing 220, 220B are constructed of stainlesssteel. The equipment specified is by way of example only.

The CMF modules 285, 286 are constructed of stainless steel which holdsthe CMF elements vertically. CMF System #1 has two modules CMF A 285 andCMF B 286, which contain a number of ceramic microfiltration elements asneeded to fulfill the flow requirements of the specific installation.The ceramic microfilters have a porous ceramic membrane layer with anominal pore size of 0.05 micron. CMF System #2 (not shown) has 4modules (not shown) each of which contains multiple elements, alsocontaining ceramic membrane layers with a nominal pore size of 0.05micron.

A recirculation pump 250 provides the movement of the fluid within theCMF recirculation loop. The recirculation loop is comprised of therecirculation pump 250, conduit 250C, CMF modules 285, 286, conduit250M, and conduit 250R. The recirculation loop provides the requiredcross flow velocity to minimize fouling of the ceramic microfiltrationelements. The recirculation pump 250 is a close-coupled, industrialcentrifugal pump manufactured with an open, clog resistant impeller anddriven with VFDs controlled by the control module. The recirculationpump of CMF System #1 is sized for 2,400 gpm at 80′ TDH with a 75 hp,1775 rpm motor.

The recirculation loop is in communication with a Clean In Place tank270 which supplies chemicals to be used for cleaning the CMF filtermodules 285, 286. An immersion heater 268 applies energy to the cleaningfluid in conduit 264C with Clean-In-Place tank 270. An immersion heater268 is used to increase temperature of the water (and cleaning fluid) toincrease the efficacy of cleaning and treatment of the microfiltrationelements in modules 285, 286. The heater has a 5-inch flange with atemperature switch and is rated at 24 kW.

The CMF control panel is a 60-inch by 60-inch panel that houses adisconnect, transformer, motor starters, variable frequency drives, aPLC, input and output modules (both analog and digital), an Ethernetswitch and router, and Hand-Off-Auto switches, pressure transducers, anair conditioner, and miscellaneous circuit breakers, fuses and relays.The front of the panel contains control switches, display lights whichindicate the current operating conditions and a display indicating theoperating parameters and conditions of the entire CMF System #1.

Pressure sensing transmitters 219P, 222P, 252P, 256P, 259P, 285P, and286P measure and electronically communicate pressures of variouslocations of the CMF system with the input modules mounted in thecontrol panel. The discharge pressure of the feed pump 219P, the moduleCMF A inlet pressure 252P, the intermediate pressure 256P betweenmodules, CMF A and CMF B, the outlet pressure 259P, and the filtratepressures 285P, 286P are monitored and processed by the PLC controllerlocated in the control panel. From these pressure transmitters thetransmembrane pressures are determined. Pressure transducer 211T is alsoused to measure level in the CMF feed tank and this pressures is used tocontrol the VFD feed pump.

Flow meters monitor concentrate 280F and filtrate 260F discharge flowrates. Magnetic-inductive flowmeters 260F, 280F produce and a signalvoltage directly proportional to the volumetric flow. The filtrate flowmeter 260F has a measuring range of 0.1 to 250 gpm and the concentrateflow meter 280F has a measuring range of 0.1 to 26.4 gpm. The flowmeters also provide a totalizer function (integrated flow) which is usedto determine the total amount of CMF filtrate and CMF reject concentratewhich enables the determination of the concentration factor. The flowmeters 260F, 280F provide 4-20 mA output signals to the PLC.

Several isolation ball valves with pneumatic actuators 212V, 213V, 214V,215V, 216V, 265V, 266V, 270V, 287V, 289V, 273V, 291V, provide 2-way(open/close) control of flow in the CMF system. The valves have solenoidpilot valves which control air to the valve actuators. The valves havemanual overrides located near the CMF control panel. The feed tank isisolated by valve 215V enabling use of the CIP feature for cleaning. TheCIP tank is further isolated from the CMF filtrate by valve 273V. Stillfurther, the waste tank, is isolated from the recirculation loop byvalve 291V, the heater 268 is isolated by valve 265V from therecirculation loop 250R and waste tank 267 is isolated from therecirculation loop by valve 266V.

A ball valve 261V with a modulating actuator is provided in the CMF #1system for control of CMF concentrate flow 262 from the recirculationloop 250R to the concentrate collection tank 263. Valve 261V modulatesto control the flow of concentrate in conduit 281C out of theRECIRCULATION LOOP 250R and into the concentrate collection tank 263.The reject concentrate flow is controlled as set forth in FIG. 3A. Notethat reference numerals used in FIG. 3A are for the control of thereject flow control valve used in the reverse osmosis system Theschematic, however, is also applicable to the control of the rejectvalve of the CMF system.

A pH probe 298 is connected to the recirculation loop to measure thefull pH range and is made of CPVC and HDPE. It has a flat-surfaceelectrode and is self-cleaning. It provides a signal to the PLC forcontinuous monitoring of the system pH during normal operation of thesystem and during the CIP process/mode. pH control is illustrated inFIG. 3.

The CMF system of the instant invention is designed to be cleaned atregular time intervals. These intervals can be varied depending on theapplication. CMF systems must be cleaned regularly to preventhard-to-remove residue accumulation. Also, a CIP procedure will becomenecessary if membrane flux rate has decreased significantly,attributable to CMF incompatible wastewater components. Generally, aflux rate decrease is due to formation of a membrane “fouling” layer.The flux rate of each module CMFA and CMF B is monitored continuouslyaccording to the aforementioned Transmembrane pressure (TMP)calculation. A clean in place procedure is instituted and chemicalssupplied to the CIP tank are used in the CMF System #1 and the valves215V, 260V isolate the feed tank 211 and the CMF filtrate output 260.

The foulant layer accumulated on the ceramic microfiltration elementscan be removed using CIP chemicals such acids, bleach, caustic materialsand appropriate cleaning solutions.

Ceramic membranes are employed in harsh environments and wheredifficult-to-remove residues are to be expected. These membranes canwithstand strong chemicals as well as high temperatures. Cleaningsolutions contain alkaline, acidic and/or corrosive substances andhandling of these chemicals must be performed with caution.

A series of CIP protocols enable successful membrane cleaning of manydifferent contaminants. A standard CIP will target the removal of anorganic foulant layer, using a caustic/bleach solution under elevatedtemperatures, followed by an acidic removal of mineral scaling.

Reverse osmosis system described in connection with the secondembodiment, FIGS. 2-2I.

FIG. 2E is a generalized schematic 200E of the reverse osmosisfiltration system of the second embodiment illustrating the RO feedsystem, RO subsystems, the RO CIP system, the RO circulation system, theRO permeate discharge assembly, the RO reject discharge assembly and theRO control system.

FIG. 2F is another schematic 200F of the reverse osmosis system of thesecond embodiment. The filtrate (permeate) output of CMF System #1 andCMF System #2 is combined as indicated in FIG. 2 and is sent 310 to thefeed and neutralization tank 311.

Feed water for the RO system is supplied from the RO feed tank 311. Feedwater is routed through the RO feed tank isolation valve 314V viaconduit 314C into the RO feed pump 317 suction, and pumped through a 10micron bag prefilter 320 before entering the RO recirculation loop. Therecirculation loop includes conduit 346C, recirculation pump 325 drivenby a variable frequency drive, conduit 328C interconnecting therecirculation pump 325 and the first stage of the reverse osmosis filterbanks B1, B2 and B3, the first stage concentrate reject conduit 330Cinterconnected with the second stage of the reverse osmosis filter banksB4, B5 and B6, second stage concentrate reject output conduit 331C,reject output conduit 332C leading to and communicating with rejectoutput conduit 341C, modulating control valve 342V and recirculationreturn conduit 245C, and check valve 296 with return conduit 345 incommunication with conduit 346C.

The first stage includes banks B1, B2 and B3. Each of banks B1 and B2includes 3 housings, and each housing includes four reverse osmosismembranes. B3 includes a bank of 2 housings, and each housing includesfour reverse osmosis membranes each. The second stage includes banks B4,B5 and B6. Bank 4 includes 3 housings, and each of the housings includesfour reverse osmosis membranes. Each of banks B5 and B6 include 2housings, and each housing includes four reverse osmosis membranes.

Water is recirculated inside the loop and brought to operating pressureby the recirculation pump 325. When a minimum net driving pressure isachieved, water is forced through the membrane in a directionperpendicular to the recirculating flow. This water, called permeate(filtrate), is collected inside a common header 335C and recycled to theplant for reuse or disposal 339. The second stage banks, B4, B5 and B6discharge filtrate to a common outlet conduit 333C. The first stagebanks B1, B2 and B3 discharge filtrate to a common outlet header 338Cwhich communicates with outlet conduit 337C. Outlet conduits 333C and337C join and communicate with common header 335C. Common header 335Cinterconnects with three way valve 335V which is an automatic solenoidoperated valve. Clean In Place (CIP) tank 340 communicates with threeway valve 335V. Three way valve 335V directs flow of permeate (filtrate)out 339 or permits cleaning of the RO system while isolating the processdownstream of RO Out 339.

The remaining water inside the recirculation loop is referred to asreject and/or concentrate and/or reject concentrate. A fraction of thereject concentrate is discarded via conduit 347C which interconnectswith conduit 345C downstream from the pneumatically modulated controlvalve 342V. Reject concentrate in conduit 347C flows to either thereject concentrate tank 350 or a waste tank 351 for further treatment.New feed water (make-up water) from the feed pump 317 replaces thepermeated and purged volumes as recirculation is continuous.

The RO system of FIG. 2F of the instant invention is used as a secondaryfiltration system after the prior ceramic microfiltration (CMF) system.The RO system of the invention is equipped with spiral wound polymericreverse osmosis membranes. RO is a moderate to high pressure-drivenprocess for separating dissolved solids from water by means of asemi-permeable membrane. RO membranes will reject dissolved solids,including monovalent salts (e.g. sodium chloride). The systems areequipped with spiral wound, polymeric (thin film composite) membranes incross-flow configuration. This arrangement forces water through acontrolled path over the membrane surface at a high flow rate(velocity), thereby enhancing permeate recovery and reducing membranefouling. The permeate flows axially in a perforated central tube in thecenter of the RO membrane assembly and the concentrate flows axially inan annular volume surrounding the perforated central tube. The membraneis formed by concentric membranes each separated by a spacer.

Concentration Factor

The RO system of the instant invention separates feed flow into a cleanpermeate 339 and a heavy concentrate flow in conduit 348C continuously.The concentrate (or reject) flow is only a fraction of the feed flow butcontains all of the rejected feed components. The ratio between the feedflow rate and the concentrate flow rate is referred to as theconcentration factor (CF):

${CF} = \frac{{Flow}_{Feed}}{{Flow}_{{Conc}.}}$

The concentration factor is typically adjusted to 5 fold (5×) but canvary depending on the application. A 5× concentration factor stands foran 80% reduction in volume (i.e. 80% recovery of water). In this casethe reject stream in conduit 348C is nearly five times as concentratedas the feed stream, containing all of the solids rejected by themembrane. The feed stream or feed flow includes the permeate flow 336Fplus the reject concentrate flow 348F.

The loop concentration will influence permeate transport through themembrane and the RO system efficiency will decline for concentrationfactor adjustments beyond a critical ratio. The programmable logiccontroller (PLC) computes the concentration factor from flow meterreadings 336F, 348F continuously. Flow meter 336F measures andintegrates the permeate flow through the common header (conduit) 335C.Flow meter 348F measures and integrates the reject concentrate flow inconduit 348C.

The real time concentration factor is displayed on the RO system statusHuman Machine Interface (HMI) screen at the control panel. Theconcentration factor is selectable and input electronically into thecontrol system and the control panel.

Flux Rate

Every wastewater is unique in its quality, concentration and compositionand thus exhibits an individual diffusion rate through the ReverseOsmosis membrane, the so called flux rate. The total membrane surfacearea of a RO system depends on the size and quantity of installed ROelements. Every RO element has a spiral wound sandwich layer structure.In practical terms, the flux rate can be expressed as the permeateproduction for each RO element, measurement units are in gallons persquare foot per day (GFD). The PLC computes flux rate from theintegrated permeate flowmeter 336F over a period of time and thendividing integrated flow by the installed membrane surface area.

Process flux rates can vary during the operation and will often slowlydecline over time. The operator monitors and logs system data throughoutthe operation and decide when membrane cleaning becomes necessary.

Transmembrane Pressure

The effective pressure drop over the membrane, the TransmembranePressure (TMP), is determined from the pressure difference between thepressures inside the RO elements and the back pressure the permeateexperiences on the permeate side. The TMP is calculated as:

${TMP} = {\frac{p_{{RO\_ Module}{\_ IN}} + p_{{RO\_ Module}{\_ OUT}}}{2}{p_{PERM}.}}$

The value of the input pressure 326P to the banks B1-B6 of reverseosmosis elements and the value of the outlet pressure 393P of the banksB1-B6 of reverse osmosis elements are added together and then divided bytwo, then the value of the outlet pressure of the permeate 381P issubtracted thereform. The calculation is made by the PLC at the controlpanel. This values identifies when the banks B1-B6 of elements should becleaned.

Permeate backpressure 381P cannot be adjusted since it is a purefunction of hydraulic pressure drop in the permeate piping. The ROvessel inlet pressure 326P can be adjusted by tuning the output of thevariable frequency drive (VFD) controller, installed on both the RO feedpump and recirculation pump. Permeate production can thus be increasedor decreased by modulating the feed pump speed (RPM) or therecirculation pump speed (RPM).

Membrane Fouling Prevention

Membrane separation is historically plagued by membrane fouling, theformation of a contaminant layer (cake) on the membrane surface, whichleads to a rapid decline of permeate flux. Foulants can originate from avariety of sources, some of which are inorganic (e.g. silica), organic(e.g. cationic polymers), colloidal (e.g. silt) or biological (e.g.microbes) in nature. Although concentration polarization is inherent toall membrane processes, the RO system utilizes pretreatment andcross-flow configuration to help mitigate the fouling phenomenon.

The two major processes used for pretreatment are pre-filtration andscale control. The RO system illustrated in FIG. 2F is installeddownstream of the CMF system illustrated in FIG. 2B, which removes ahigh percentage of colloidal and particulate matter that would otherwisefoul or cause mechanical damage to the membranes of the elements of theRO system.

As permeate (filtrate), water that is relatively low in dissolvedsolids, passes through the membrane, the remaining reject becomesincreasingly concentrated in those same substances. At certain degreesof concentration, the saturation limit of a sparingly soluble salt isexceeded and precipitation occurs. This leads to the formation of scaleon the membrane surface, which can severely reduce permeate flow andpossibly cause irreversible damage. The RO system may operate underconditions of supersaturation if the addition of antiscalants orchelants is part of the pretreatment process. Reducing the recovery(i.e. lowering the concentration factor) is a simple way to avoidsupersaturation conditions. However, this may be undesirable due to thefact that less water is recycled to the plant 339 and more water isdiscarded as reject 350.

Scale control is also accomplished through pH adjustment. pH, a measureof the acidity or basicity of a solution, plays a role in RO systemperformance. The RO system of the instant invention doses the feed waterwith acid 312 to convert ions that favor scale formation into forms thattend to stay soluble, thus making them unavailable for precipitationreactions. See FIG. 2F where acid 312 is injected through an unnumberedconduit by an acid metering pump 312 as dictated by the PLC controller.

The cross-flow configuration allows permeate to flow in a directionperpendicular to that of the bulk (feed) solution. Particles larger thanthe membrane pore diameter are retained within the recirculation loop.Without intending to be limited by theory, RO membranes actually have nodetectable pores and separation is thought to occur throughsolution-diffusion mechanisms. Particulates cannot easily accumulate onthe membrane surface since they are swept away and recirculatedcontinuously at high velocities. The retained liquid inside therecirculation loop is referred to as reject. At startup, therecirculation loop concentration is equal to that of the feed stream;the recirculation loop gradually increases in concentration until asteady balance of material is achieved between the concentrations of theincoming feed and the outgoing permeate and reject streams.

RO System Components

Referring to FIGS. 2E and 2F, the RO feed tank 311 is a flat-bottomedtank constructed of 304 stainless steel and is 7 feet in diameter with aheight of 10 feet and a total volume of approximately 2,600 gallons. TheRO Feed pump 317 is a centrifugal pump used to transfer water from theRO feed tank 311 to the RO System. The feed pump 317 is a horizontalclose coupled pump constructed of 316 stainless steel with a SiliconCarbide/SV/Viton mechanical seal. It is sized for 150 gpm. The pump 317is powered by a 10 hp, 3450 rpm motor, and feeds water via the conduit318C to the prefilter 320. The prefilter 320 includes two bag filterswithin respective housings 320A, 320B and the two housings are locateddownstream of the RO Feed pump 317. See FIG. 2G wherein the prefilter320 is illustrated and the two bag filter housings 320A, 320B are shown.The prefilter 320 protects the RO membranes wherein the bag filters inhousings 320A, 320B remove coarse contaminants from the feed water.Typical filtration size is 10 μm. The inlet pressure to the prefilter320 is sensed and transmitted by pressure transmitter 319P to thecontrol panel and the outlet pressure is sensed and transmitted bypressure transmitter 321P to the control panel. The two pressures areused in calculating the TMP (transmembrance pressure) across theprefilter. Water exits the prefilter in conduit 320C. See FIG. 2G whichis a schematic of the prefilter portion 340. The equipment andspecifications stated herein are by way of example only.

FIG. 2H is a schematic 200H of the recirculation pump 325, the controlvalve 342V, and the reject concentrate flow meter 348F and concentraterecirculation flow meter 345M in the recirculation loop. FIGS. 2I and 2Jare schematics of banks B1-B6 of reverse osmosis housings 383A-O in therecirculation loop. The system set forth herein by way of example only,is a two stage system. More or fewer stages may be used and more orfewer reverse osmosis membranes are used.

FIGS. 2I and 2J are schematics 200I, 200J of banks of reverse osmosishousings in the recirculation loop. The first stage illustrated in FIG.2I includes banks B1-B3. The first stage has eight housings 383A-Hcontaining four membranes each. Bank B1 includes housings 383A, 383B and383C. Water from recirculation pump 325 is discharged into conduit 328Cwhich communicates water to banks B1, B2 and B3 as illustrated in FIGS.2F and 2I.

Referring to FIG. 2I, bank B1 includes reverse osmosis housings 383A,383B and 383C. Inlet ports 384A, B, C of bank B1 housings 383A, B, Cadmit water into the reverse osmosis membranes. Filtrate is dischargedfrom housings 383A, B, C through filtrate outlet ports 386A, B, C tofiltrate conduit 338C.

Still referring to FIG. 2I, bank B2 includes reverse osmosis housings383D, 383E and 383F. Inlet ports 384D, E, F of bank B2 housings 383D, E,F admit water into the reverse osmosis membranes. Filtrate is dischargedfrom housings 383D, E, F through filtrate outlet ports 386D, E, F tofiltrate conduit 338C.

Still referring to FIG. 2I, bank B3 includes reverse osmosis housings383G and 383H. Inlet ports 384G, H of bank B3 housings 383G, H admitwater into the reverse osmosis membranes. Filtrate is discharged fromhousings 383G, H through filtrate outlet ports 386G, H to filtrateconduit 338C.

FIG. 2I further illustrates filtrate conduit 338C joining filtrateoutlet conduit 333C as filtrate outlet conduit 335C. Filtrate outletconduit 335C communicates with three-way valve 335V. Three-way valve335V (three port valve) directs fluid into filtrate (permeate) outlet339 for reuse or other disposal. Alternatively three-way valve isrepositioned to enable the clean-in-place (CIP) system to function. Nospecific position of the three-way valve 335V or any two way valve isillustrated in connection with the drawing figures.

Still referring to FIG. 2I, concentrate from bank B1 is discharged fromconcentrate outlet port 385A of housing 383A to concentrate conduit330C. Concentrate outlet port 385C of housing 383C communicates with anunnumbered concentrate inlet port of housing 383B. Concentrate outletport 385B of housing 383B communicates with an unnumbered concentrateinlet port of housing 383A.

Still referring to FIG. 2I, concentrate from bank B2 is discharged fromconcentrate outlet port 385D of housing 383D to concentrate conduit330C. Concentrate outlet port 385F of housing 383F communicates with anunnumbered concentrate inlet port of housing 383E. Concentrate outletport 385E of housing 383E communicates with an unnumbered concentrateinlet port of housing 383D.

Still referring to FIG. 2I, concentrate from bank B3 is discharged fromconcentrate outlet port 385G of housing 383G to concentrate conduit330C. Concentrate outlet port 385H of housing 383H communicates with anunnumbered concentrate inlet port of housing 383G.

The second stage illustrated in FIG. 2J includes banks B4-B6. The secondstage has seven housings 383I-O containing four membranes each. Bank B4includes housings 383I, 383J and 383K. Water from concentrate conduit330C communicates water to banks B4, B5 and B6 as illustrated in FIGS.2J and 2F.

Referring to FIG. 2J, concentrate conduit 330C communicates concentrateto concentrate Inlet ports 385I (bank B4), 385L (bank B5) and 385N (bankB6). Filtrate from each respective filtrate outlet port 386I, J, K ofbank B4 housings 383I, J, K is communicated to conduit 333C. Filtratefrom each respective filtrate outlet port 386L, M for bank B5 housings383L, M is communicated to conduit 333C. Filtrate from each respectivefiltrate outlet port 386N, O for bank B6 housings 383N, O iscommunicated to conduit 333C.

Concentrate is communicated from an unnumbered port on housing 383I toconcentrate inlet port 385J of housing 383J. Concentrate is communicatedfrom an unnumbered port on housing 383J to concentrate inlet port 385Kof housing 383K.

Still referring to FIG. 2J, filtrate flows from housings 383I-O toconcentrate conduit 332C. Filtrate flows from filtrate outlet ports 384I(bank B4), 384L (bank B5), and 384N (bank B6) to conduit 332C for returnof concentrate to the recirculation loop.

Conduit 332C branches into conduit 343C for measurement and evaluationof concentrate in the recirulation loop by pH meter 344. Conduit 332Calso branches into conduit 341C where concentrate enters and iscontrolled by modulating control valve 342V.

FIG. 3C illustrates 300C the recirculation valve control 342V of thereverse osmosis system. FIGS. 3C and 2F illustrate pressure transmitter326P measuring and transmitting the value of the inlet pressure of theconcentrate flow to the first stage of the reverse osmosis housings B1-B3 to the PLC located in the control panel. As stated above, theconcentrate admitted to banks B1-B3 which is not expelled as filtratefrom outlet filtrate ports 386A-H is forwarded from the first stage ofreverse osmosis housings B1-B3 via conduit 330C to the second stage ofthe reverse osmosis housings B4-B6. Pressure transmitter 398P measuresand transmits the intermediate pressure between the first stage (banksB1-B3) of the housings and the second stage (banks B4-B6) of thehousings. Pressure transmitter 393P measures and transmits theconcentrate outlet pressure of the discharge of the banks B4-B6.Concentrate outlet pressure 393P is the inlet pressure to therecirculation control valve 343V. Pressure transmitter 382P measures andtransmits the second stage output pressure of the filtrate to the PLC inthe control panel.

The difference in pressure measured by the inlet pressure 326P and theoutlet pressure 393P is compared by comparator 391. The ΔP 392 which iscompared to the setpoint ΔP by the comparator 393. A setpoint errorsignal e(t) is generated and is operated on by controller 394 whichoutputs a signal to positioner 395 which positions recirculation valve342V in response to the error of the differential pressure across banksB1-B6 of the reverse osmosis system. The position of the recirculationvalve dictates the amount of flow through the recirculation valve which,in turn, adjusts the flow and the differential pressure across banksB1-B6 of the reverse osmosis system. Flow through the recirculationvalve 342V is returned via conduit 345C where flow 4 is rejected alongconduit 347C. Flow 5 is added to make-up flow 6 as illustrated.Recirculation flow 1 is controlled by variable frequency drive controlas illustrated in FIG. 3B. The recirculation pump 325 produces a familyof pump curves based on pump speed and input head. The recirculationvalve 342V functions to vary the system resistance curve which controlsthe ΔP across banks B1-B6.

FIG. 3B illustrates 300B the tank level control of the ceramicmicrofiltration and reverse osmosis systems. Desired flow out of thetank is the setpoint. An error signal e(t) is generated by comparing thedesired setpoint and comparing it to the rate of change, the derivative,of the level of the tank times the area, A, ((dL(t) times A)/dt). Erroras a function of time, e(t), is operated upon by a proportional plusintegral plus derivative controller 376 (PID) which outputs a controlsignal to the VFD recirculation pump drive which, in turn, outputs aspeed command, s(t) to the pump which determines the flow out in pumpdischarge conduit 328C, fo (t). Flow into the tank, fi(t) is determinedby process conditions.

A pH probe is mounted in the recirculation loop and measures the full pHrange and is made of CPVC and HDPE. It has a flat-surface electrode andis self-cleaning. It provides a signal to the PLC for continuousmonitoring of the system pH during normal operation and during CIP(Clean-In-Place) operation.

FIG. 3 is a schematic 300 of the pH control of both the ceramicmicrofiltration and reverse osmosis systems. The desired setpoint of thepH is compared to the sample measurement 344 of the discharge conduit332C of the banks of housings. The error signal based on pH is operatedon by a 3 point proportional control 377 which can be expanded to morethan a 3 point proportional control. The output of the proportionalcontrol 377 is operated upon by a metering pump 378 which determines theamount of acid to be injected into the tank 311.

FIG. 3A is a schematic 300A of the reject valve control of both theceramic microfiltration and reverse osmosis systems. The setpoint isadjustable and is a function of the total flow. The total flow isdetermined by filtrate flow in conduit 335C as sensed and transmitted byflow meter 336F of the filtrate (permeate) plus the concentrate flow inconduit 345C as sensed and transmitted by flow meter 345F. The rejectconcentrate flow is determined by flow meter 348F in conduit 348C. Theconcentration factor may be set be the user and it is the concentratefactor which determines the setpoint. The concentration factor equalsthe reject concentrate flow/total flow. In the example of FIG. 3A, aconcentration factor of 0.2 has been used and the setpoint varies as thetotal flow changes based on system conditions.

Referring to FIG. 3A, the error signal e(t) is operated on by aproportional plus integral plus derivative controller 356 which outputsa valve position signal 356S. The valve position signal 356S positionsthe reject valve, 349V and thus controls the reject flow 348F in conduit348C. The reject flow signal is divided by the total flow and thiscalculation, made by the PLC, is fed back to the comparator 357.

The second stage has seven housings with four membranes each. Thevessels are constructed of fiberglass and these housings are rated for300 psi and 190° F. There are 60 elements in this RO system. Theseelements are thin film composite membranes packed in a spiral-woundconfiguration. Each element is 8 inches in diameter and 40 inches long.These particular membranes are suited for a high temperatureapplication. The recirculation pump 325 is a vertical pump used to boostthe pressure and recirculate the water in the recirculation loop. Thepump is 316 stainless steel. This pump is sized to pump 200 gpm and ispowered by a 50 hp, 3450 rpm motor.

The RO Control Panel houses a disconnect, transformer, motor starters,variable frequency drives, remote input and output modules (both analogand digital), Hand-Off-Auto switches, pressure transducers, an airconditioner, and miscellaneous circuit breakers, fuses and relays. Thefront of the panel contains control switches, display lights anddisplays which indicate the current operating conditions.

Pressure transmitters are used to monitor the feed pump dischargepressure 319P, the recirculation loop pressures, 326P, 381P, 398P, 382P,393P, and permeate pressure 381P, 382P and from these, the transmembranepressure is determined. Pressure transducer is also used to measurelevel in the feed and neutralization tank.

Four magnetic-inductive flow meters are used. Recirculation flow 345F inthe recirculation loop is measured. Reject concentrate flow 348F rate ismeasured as is the RO filtrate out flow 336F rate. Flow is also measured334F coming from the second stage of the RO housings and leading to thecombined first and second stage output which is the RO filtrate output.As the wastewater flows through the meter, a signal voltage is createdwhich is directly proportional to the volumetric flow. The flow metershave varying ranges based on application. These can also provide atotalizer function. The meters provides a 4-20 mA output signal to thePLC indicative of the flow therethrough.

There are several pneumatically actuated ball valves 315V, 352V, 399V inthe RO System which serve to isolate, among other things, the RO CIPtank, the waste tank, and the reject concentration tank. The airactuated valves provide 2-way (open/close) and 3-way control of flow inthe RO System. The valves have solenoid pilot valves which control airto the valve actuators. The valves have manual overrides located nearthe RO control panel.

A convertible PVDF ORP sensor 343S is provided for online monitoring ofthe oxidation-reduction potential for the RO. The sensor measures ORPfrom −2000 to +2000 mV and is constructed with corrosion-resistantmaterials. Polymeric membranes can be damaged by oxidizers (bleach,permanganate, ozone, bromine, iodine) present in feed water especiallyat neutral or slightly acidic pH. The RO feed oxidizing-reducingpotential (ORP) must be monitored frequently. The RO system features aninline ORP sensor and values are continuously displayed on the SystemStatus screen. ORP can be measured by the maintenance person with ahandheld ORP meter. The RO system must not be operated if ORP levels arenot below prescribed levels.

Conductivity probes are mounted in the system to monitor performancedownstream of the RO feed pump 319C with a cell constant of 5, in therecirculation loop 343C with a cell constant of 10, and in the ROfiltrate output 335K with a constant of 1. The sensors use a cellconstant of 1, 5 or 10 (depending on location) and can measureconductivity ranging from 0 to 5,000 or 200,000 μS/cm. They provide ananalog signal to the PLC for continuous monitoring.

Three 1.5-inch long thermocouples are located in the RO system tomonitor feed 323T, ambient, and loop 343T temperatures. The thermocouplemeasures temperature by producing a voltage due to the heating orcooling of the two dissimilar metals (iron and constantan). This voltageis correlated to a temperature by the PLC.

The RO system is cleaned in regular time intervals. These intervals canbe varied depending on the application; some installations requireperiodic cleanings. RO systems must be cleaned regularly to preventhard-to-remove residue accumulation. Also, a CIP will become necessaryif membrane flux rate has decreased significantly, attributable toformation of a membrane “fouling” layer. This foulant layer can beremoved using CIP chemicals.

Cleaning solutions contain alkaline, acidic and/or corrosive substancesand handling of these chemicals must be performed with caution.

A series of CIP protocols enables successful membrane cleaning from manydifferent contaminants. A standard CIP will target the removal of anorganic foulant layer, using a caustic/bleach solution under elevatedtemperatures, followed by an acidic removal of mineral scaling.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

-   B1, B2—bank of 3 housings, each housing with four reverse osmosis    membranes each, part of first stage reverse osmosis filtering-   B3—bank of 2 housings, each housing with four reverse osmosis    membranes each, part of first stage reverse osmosis filtering-   B4—bank of 3 housings, each housing with four reverse osmosis    membranes each, part of second stage reverse osmosis filtering-   B5, B6—bank of 2 housings, each housing with four reverse osmosis    membranes each, part of second stage reverse osmosis filtering-   1, 1A—coarse prefiltration or screen-   2, 2A—feed tanks-   3, 3A, 3B—ceramic microfiltration system-   4—concentrate reject valve-   5—filtrate pipe-   6, 6A—feed and neutralization tank-   7, 7A—reverse osmosis filtration system-   8—permeate pipe-   9—reject valve-   10—acid metering pump-   11—pH control sensor-   31—inlet, wastewater-   32—outlet, wastewater-   33—filtrate outlet-   34—an abrasion-resistant ceramic membrane filter-   35—tube sheet and seal plate-   100—schematic of a first embodiment of the overall process    illustrating the ceramic filtration portion and the reverse osmosis    portion-   100A—schematic sectional view of the ceramic filtration portion of    the first embodiment of the process-   200—schematic of a second embodiment of the overall process    illustrating the ceramic filtration portion and the reverse osmosis    portion-   200A—generalized schematic of the second embodiment of the ceramic    microfiltration system-   200B—schematic of the second embodiment of the ceramic    microfiltration system-   200C—schematic of the prefilter portion of the second embodiment of    the ceramic microfiltration system-   200C—schematic of the modules of the ceramic microfiltration system    of the second embodiment-   200D—generalized schematic of the reverse osmosis filtration system    of the second embodiment-   200E—schematic of the reverse osmosis system of the second    embodiment-   200F—schematic of the prefilter portion of the second embodiment of    the reverse osmosis filtration system-   200G—schematic of banks of reverse osmosis membranes in the    recirculation loop-   200H—schematic of the recirculation pump, the control valve and the    reject concentrate flow meter in the recirculation loop.-   200I, J—schematics of banks of reverse osmosis housings in the    recirculation loop.-   300—schematic of the pH control of the ceramic microfiltration and    reverse osmosis systems.-   300A—schematic of the reject valve control of the ceramic    microfiltration and reverse osmosis systems-   300B—schematic of the tank level control of the ceramic    microfiltration and reverse osmosis systems-   300C—schematic of the recirculation valve control of the reverse    osmosis system.-   202—CFM feed system-   203—CFM CIP system-   204—CFM sub systems-   205—CFM recirculation assembly-   207—CFM concentrate header-   208—CFM filtrate header-   209—CFM control module-   211—CFM feed tank-   211T—level transmitter of feed tank 211-   212C—bleach supply conduit to feed tank-   212V—pneumatically operated isolation valve in bleach supply conduit    to feed tank-   213C—base supply conduit to feed tank-   213V—pneumatically operated isolation valve in base supply conduit    to feed tank-   214C—acid supply conduit to feed tank-   214V—pneumatically operated isolation valve in acid supply conduit    to feed tank-   215C—conduit from feed tank to feed pump 218-   215V—pneumatically operated isolation valve in conduit 215C from    feed tank to feed pump 218-   216—flush water-   216V—pneumatically operated isolation valve in conduit 216C-   217—check valve for flush water supply-   218—feed pump driven by a variable frequency drive-   218C—conduit from feed pump 218 to prefilter 220-   219P—discharge pressure of feed pump 218-   220—prefilter-   220A—prefilter bag housing-   220B—prefilter bag housing-   221T—prefilter discharge temperature-   222P—prefilter discharge pressure-   223C—conduit from prefilter to the recirculation pump 250-   250—recirculation pump driven by a variable frequency drive-   250C—conduit from recirculation pump 250 to ceramic microfiltration    housing A 285-   250M—conduit from ceramic microfiltration A 285 concentrate    discharge to ceramic microfiltration housing B 286-   250R—recirculation loop conduit from concentrate discharge to the    recirculation pump-   251T—recirculation discharge temperature-   252P—recirculation discharge pressure-   254S—ceramic microfiltration A 285 sample-   256P—discharge pressure of ceramic microfiltration A 285 concentrate-   257S—ceramic microfiltration A 286 sample-   259P—discharge pressure of ceramic microfiltration A 286 concentrate-   260—CFM System #1 filtrate-   260C—conduit carrying filtrate 260 from CMF A and CMF module B-   260F—flow measurement of CFM System #1 filtrate-   260V—pneumatically operated isolation valve for CMF System filtrate-   261V—modulating pneumatically actuated control valve for controlling    concentrate flow to concentrate collection tank-   262—CMF concentrate-   263—CMF concentrate collection tank-   264C—conduit interconnecting the reject concentrate conduit 281C and    the heater 268 and the Clean In Place (CIP) tank-   265V—pneumatically operated isolation valve in conduit 264C-   266V—pneumatically operated isolation valve in conduit 264C to waste    tank 267-   267—waste tank-   268—heater for CIP solutions-   270—acid injection tank controlled by pH control system-   270A—CIP tank in conduit 270C-   270C—conduit interconnecting conduit 215C and cleaning solutions in    CIP tank 270A-   270V—pneumatically operated isolation valve in conduit    interconnection between the CIP tank 270 and the conduit 215C-   271—interconnection to CIP tank 270-   272C—conduit interconnecting CIP tank and filtrate conduit 260C-   273V—pneumatically operated isolation valve in conduit 272C-   275C—conduit interconnecting the acid injection system with the    recirculation pump input conduit 223C-   280—flow meter measuring CMF concentrate flow-   281—reject concentrate conduit-   285—CMF A-   285P—CMF A output filtrate pressure transmitter-   286—CMF B-   286P—outlet pressure of CMF B-   287C—output filtrate conduit of CMF A interconnected with combined    filtrate output 260C-   287V—pneumatically controlled isolation valve in conduit 287C-   289C—outlet filtration conduit of CMF B interconnected with combined    filtrate output 260C-   289V—pneumatically operated isolation valve in conduit 289C-   290—waste tank-   291C—conduit interconnecting a waste tank 290 and the recirculation    loop-   291V—pneumatically operated waste tank isolation valve in conduit    291C-   296—check valve-   298—pH sensor and transmitter-   298C—sampling conduit for the pH sensor-   301—RO feed system-   302—RO subsystems-   303—RO CIP system-   304—RO recirculation assembly-   305—RO permeate discharge assembly-   306—RO reject discharge assembly-   307—RO control system-   310—flow from the ceramic microfiltration system-   311—feed and neutralization tank-   311P—feed tank pressure/level measurement-   312—acid metering pump which admits acid to the feed and    neutralization tank 311 as necessary for the control of pH-   313—CIP tank-   314C—conduit from feed and neutralization tank which supplies fluid    to the feed pump 317 driven by a variable frequency drive-   314V—feed and neutralization pneumatically operated isolation valve-   315—CIP tank-   315V—pneumatically operated isolation valve for CIP tank-   317—feed pump driven by a variable frequency drive-   318C—conduit from the feed pump 317 to the prefilter 320-   319C—conductivity measurement measured before the prefilter 320-   320—prefilter with bag housing which filters the water/fluid prior    to entering the reverse osmosis membranes-   320C—conduit from the prefilter 320 to the recirculation pump 325    which is driven by a variable frequency drive-   321P—pressure after the prefilter 320 in the conduit 320C, this is    the inlet pressure to recirculation pump 325-   322S—sampling station after the prefilter in the conduit-   323T—temperature measurement after the prefilter 320 in the conduit    320C-   325—recirculation pump driven by a variable frequency drive-   326P—discharge pressure of recirculation pump 325, this is the inlet    pressure to the first stage of reverse osmosis filtering, the first    stage comprises banks B1, B2 and B3-   327S—sample at discharge of recirculation pump 325-   328C—conduit from the recirculation pump 325 to the first stage of    reverse osmosis filtering-   329C—branch conduit feeding liquid to be filtered to banks B1, B2    and B3 of housings having reverse osmosis filters therein-   330C—branch conduit feeding concentrate to be filtered to banks B4,    B5 and B6 of housings having reverse osmosis filters therein-   331C—branch conduit for concentrate return to the recirculation loop    via conduit 332C, control valve 342V, conduit 345C, and check valve    346-   332C—conduit for return of concentrate to the recirculation loop-   333C—conduit for permeate (filtrate) flow from banks B4, B5 and B6    of housings-   334F—flow meter for measurement of flow in conduit 333C from banks    B4, B5 and B6 of housings-   335C—conduit for permeate from first and second stages of reverse    osmosis filtering-   335V—three way valve controlling permeate flow to the process for    reuse or permeating the reverse osmosis system to be cleaned in    place-   336F—flow meter for measuring permeate flow in conduit 335C-   337C—first stage flow conduit-   338C—first stage filtrate flow conduit-   339—RO output-   340—CIP tank-   341C—conduit for carrying concentrate to the modulating control    valve 342V for return-   342V—modulating pneumatic control valve for concentrate in the    recirculation loop 341C-   343—conduit to pH senor 344-   343S—ORP sensor-   343T—temperature of concentrate in recirculation loop-   344—pH sensor-   345C—recirculation conduit-   345F—flow meter measuring concentrate recirculation-   347C—concentrate reject from recirculation conduit 345C-   348C—concentrate reject conduit to reject concentrate tank 350-   348F—flow meter measuring reject concentrate flow to the reject    concentrate tank 350-   349V-modulating valve controlling flow in the concentrate reject    conduit to reject concentrate tank 350-   350—reject concentrate tank-   351—waste tank-   352C—conduit for reject concentrate to waste tank 351-   352V—pneumatically operated isolation valve in conduit 352C-   353C—conduit for reject concentrate to CIP tank 313-   353V—pneumatically operated isolation valve in conduit 353C-   356—proportional plus integral controller (PID)-   356F—division of the reject flow 348F by the total flow 356F-   356S—valve position-   357—comparator-   376—proportional plus integral controller (PID)-   376C—comparator-   377—3 point proportional control-   378—metering pump-   381P—first stage permeate output pressure transmitter-   382P—second stage permeate output pressure transmitter-   383A-H housings, each housing includes four reverse osmosis    membranes therein-   384A, B, C—inlet ports for bank B1 housings 383A, B, C-   384D, E, F—inlet ports for bank B2 housings 383D, E, F-   384G, H—inlet ports for bank B3 housings 383G, H-   384I, J, K—concentrate outlet ports for bank B4 housings 383I, J, K-   384L, M—concentrate outlet ports for bank B2 housings 383L, M-   384N, O—concentrate outlet ports for bank B3 housings 383N, O-   385A, B, C—concentrate outlet ports for bank B1 housings 383A, B, C-   385D, E, F—concentrate outlet ports for bank B2 housings 383D, E, F-   385G, H—concentrate outlet ports for bank B3 housings 383G, H-   385I, J, K—concentrate inlet ports for bank B4 housings 383I, J, K-   385L, M—concentrate inlet ports for bank B5 housings 383L, M-   385N, O—concentrate inlet ports for bank B6 housings 383N, O-   386A, B, C—filtrate outlet ports for bank B1 housings 383A, B, C    communicating with conduit 338C-   386D, E, F—filtrate outlet ports for bank B2 housings 383D, E, F    communicating with conduit 338C-   386G, H—filtrate outlet ports for bank B3 housings 383G, H    communicating with conduit 338C-   386I, J, K—filtrate outlet ports for bank B4 housings 383I, J, K    communicating with conduit 333C-   386L, M—filtrate outlet ports for bank B5 housings 383L, M    communicating with conduit 333C-   386N, O—filtrate outlet ports for bank B6 housings 383N, O    communicating with conduit 333C-   385M—manual globe valve-   386M—manual globe valve-   398P—intermediate pressure transmitted between first and second    stages of the reverse osmosis system-   391—comparator-   392—delta P-   392S—delta P setpoint-   393—comparator-   394—controller-   395—positioner-   399V—isolation valve in conduit 348C which carries the reject    concentrate to the reject concentrate tank

The invention has been set forth by way of example only. Variousequipment specification set forth herein are by way of example only andthose skilled will readily recognize that changes in the number ofcomponents used, changes in types of components used, and other changesmay be made to examples provided herein without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A water filter comprising a ceramicmicrofiltration system and a reverse osmosis filtration system,comprising: a programmable logic controller, PLC; said ceramicmicrofiltration, CMF, system includes: a source of water to be filtered;a CMF recirculation pump; a pretreatment element; a CMF recirculationloop; a CMF feed pump pumping said water from said source of water to befiltered through said pretreatment element and into said CMFrecirculation loop; a CMF three-point proportional controller; a CMFacid metering pump; said CMF three-point proportional controller outputsa signal to said CMF acid metering pump adapted to control acid flowinto said source of water to be filtered and adapted to control the pHof said source of water to be filtered before said water to be filteredenters said CMF recirculation pump of said CMF recirculation loop; saidCMF recirculation loop includes said CMF recirculation pump, a CMFmodule, a return conduit carrying CMF concentrate back to said CMFrecirculation pump, and a CMF concentrate reject conduit interconnectedwith said CMF return conduit for disposal of a CMF concentrate reject;said CMF concentrate reject conduit includes a CMF concentrate rejectvalve adapted to control the amount of said CMF concentrate reject flowdischarged; a CMF concentrate reject flow meter adapted to measure CMFconcentrate reject flow in said CMF concentrate reject conduit; said CMFmodule includes a ceramic element and said ceramic element includesabrasion resistant ceramic filter membranes; said CMF recirculation pumpsupplies water to and through said abrasion resistant ceramic filtermembranes of said ceramic element; said CMF module includes a CMFconcentrate reject port adapted to communicate CMF concentrate reject tosaid CMF return conduit; said CMF module includes a filtrate port; a CMFfiltrate conduit in communication with said filtrate port of said CMFmodule; a RO feed tank: said CMF filtrate conduit in communication withsaid RO feed tank; a CMF filtrate flow meter in said CMF filtrateconduit adapted to measure CMF filtrate flow to said RO feed tank ofsaid reverse osmosis filtration system; said PLC adapted to include adesired CMF concentration factor; said PLC configured to compute anactual CMF concentration factor based on said CMF filtrate flow measuredby said CMF filtrate flow meter and based on said CMF concentrate rejectflow measured by said CMF concentrate reject flow meter; and, said PLCconfigured to modulate said CMF concentrate reject valve varying saidreject flow rate based on said computed actual CMF concentration factorin relation to said desired CMF concentration factor; said reverseosmosis, RO, filtration system includes: a reverse osmosis pretreatmentelement; said RO feed tank adapted to store and receive CMF filtratewater from said ceramic filtration system and is interconnected with aRO feed pump configured to pump said CMF filtrate water through saidreverse osmosis pretreatment element and into a RO recirculation loop; aRO three-point proportional controller; a RO acid metering pump; said ROthree-point proportional controller outputs a signal to said RO acidmetering pump adapted to control acid flow and adapted to control the pHof said water to be filtered before said water to be filtered enterssaid RO feed pump and said prefilter element before entering said ROrecirculation loop; said RO recirculation loop includes a ROrecirculation pump, a first stage of RO filter banks comprising a firststage of RO filter housings and a second stage of RO filter bankscomprising a second stage of RO filter housings; a RO return conduitcarrying RO concentrate back to said RO recirculation pump, arecirculation control valve in said RO return conduit, and a ROconcentrate reject conduit interconnected with said RO return conduitfor disposal of a RO concentrate reject; said RO concentrate rejectconduit includes a RO concentrate reject valve adapted to control theamount of said RO concentrate reject flow; a RO concentrate reject flowmeter in said concentrate reject conduit adapted to measure ROconcentrate reject flow; said RO recirculation pump configured to supplywater to and through said first and second stages of said RO filterbanks and said first and second stages of said filter housings; each ofsaid RO filter housings of said first and second stages includes a hightemperature low fouling RO membrane, an RO inlet port configured for theadmission of water to be filtered, a filtrate port adapted to dischargeclean water, and a RO concentrate reject port adapted to communicate ROconcentrate therefrom; said reject ports of said first stage of ROfilter housings of said first stage of banks discharge to a commondischarge conduit which communicates with said RO inlet ports of saidsecond stage of said RO filter housings of said second stage of banks;said reject ports of said second stage of said RO filter housingscommunicate with said RO return conduit; first stage RO filtrateconduits in communication with each of said filtrate ports of said firststage RO filter housings for the discharge of clean water from saidfirst stage RO filter housings; second stage RO filtrate conduits incommunication with each of said filtrate ports of said second stage ROfilter housings for the discharge of clean water from said second stageRO filter housings; said first stage RO filtrate conduits and saidsecond stage RO filtrate conduits are joined together and form an outputRO filtrate conduit; a RO filtrate flow meter in said output RO filtrateconduit adapted to measure RO filtrate flow; said PLC adapted to includea desired RO concentration factor; said PLC adapted to compute an actualRO concentration factor based on a said RO filtrate flow and based onsaid RO concentrate reject flow; said PLC modulates said RO concentratereject valve based on said computed actual concentration factor inrelation to said desired RO concentration factor; an inlet pressuretransmitter configured to measure and transmit the inlet pressure ofsaid RO concentrate flow to said first stage of said reverse osmosishousings to said PLC; an intermediate pressure transmitter configured tomeasure and transmit the intermediate pressure of said RO concentratebetween said first stage of said housings and said second stage of saidhousings to said PLC; and, an outlet pressure transmitter configured tomeasure and transmit the concentrate outlet pressure of the second stageof said reverse osmosis housings to said PLC; said RO concentrate outletpressure is the inlet pressure to said recirculation control valve insaid RO return conduit; and, said PLC is configured to compute adifference in pressure measured between said inlet pressure and saidoutlet pressure across said first and second stages of said banks ofsaid reverse osmosis housings; said PLC is configured to form a ΔP whichis compared to a setpoint ΔP; said PLC computes a setpoint error signal,e(t), which is operated on by a control function of the PLC whichoutputs a signal to a positioner which is configured to position saidrecirculation control valve in response to said error e(t) of saiddifferential pressure across said banks of said reverse osmosis housingsand the position of said recirculation valve dictates the amount ofconcentrate flow through said recirculation control valve which, inturn, is configured to adjust the flow and the differential pressureacross said first and second stages of said banks of said reverseosmosis housings.
 2. The water filter comprising a ceramicmicrofiltration system and a reverse osmosis filtration system asclaimed in claim 1, further comprising: said abrasion resistant ceramicfilter membranes of said ceramic filter module are tubular and orientedin-line with the direction of the flow of the concentrate; said tubularabrasion resistant ceramic filter membranes have pores, and said porediameter size is 0.05 microns; and, particles in said water having adiameter greater than 0.05 microns are retained within saidrecirculation loop.
 3. The water filter comprising a ceramicmicrofiltration system and a reverse osmosis filtration system asclaimed in claim 1, further comprising: said CMF filtrate is removedperpendicularly to said water flow.
 4. The water filter comprising aceramic microfiltration system and a reverse osmosis filtration systemas claimed in claim 1, further comprising: said PLC is adapted tomonitor and process a transmembrane pressure of said CMF module, saidtransmembrane pressure is calculated as: (inlet plus outlet pressures ofthe concentrate)/2 minus the (pressure of the filtrate).
 5. The waterfilter comprising a ceramic microfiltration system and a reverse osmosisfiltration system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: said hightemperature low fouling RO membrane is a spiral wound thin filmpolymeric membrane in a cross-flow configuration.
 6. The water filtercomprising a ceramic microfiltration system and a reverse osmosisfiltration system as claimed in claim 5, further comprising: a ROmembrane assembly including: a perforated central tube which carriespermeate axially therein; and, a concentric membrane separated by aspacer which carries concentrate therein.
 7. The water filter as claimedin claim 2, further comprising: said actual CMF concentration factor iscomputed as the (CMF filtrate flow plus the CMF concentrate reject flow)divided by the (CMF reject flow); and, said actual RO concentrationfactor is computed as the (RO filtrate flow plus the RO concentratereject flow) divided by the (RO reject flow).
 8. The water filter asclaimed in claim 1, further comprising: said PLC adapted to control saidCMF concentrate reject valve based on said concentration factor includesa proportional plus integral controller; and, said PLC adapted tocontrol said RO concentrate reject valve based on said concentrationfactor includes a proportional plus integral controller.
 9. The waterfilter as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: the CMF feed pump andthe CMF recirculation pump are driven by variable frequency drives; and,the RO feed pump and the RO recirculation pump are driven by variablefrequency drives.
 10. The water filter as claimed in claim 9, furthercomprising: said CMF feed pump supplies make-up water to said CMFrecirculation loop to replace CMF filtrate and CMF concentrate removedfrom said CMF recirculation loop.
 11. The water filter as claimed inclaim 9, further comprising: said RO feed pump supplies make-up water tosaid RO recirculation loop to replace RO filtrate and RO concentrateremoved from said RO recirculation loop.
 12. The water filter as claimedin claim 1, further comprising: another CMF module in series with saidCMF module.